Bizarre Beginnings
by BlackNhite
Summary: Been some time since my last little romp through the stars. But then, the weirdest adventures start closest to home."
1. And the Hero Muses

_{I actually have a lot to say about this piece here, but rather than swamp chapters with false word count, I've moved all the details over to my profile page. If you're curious about something, you can go there. I suggest you read the story first though, some spoilers may occur. With that in mind, let's begin.}_

The sky is a truly lazy entity; day in and day out it passes through its lethargic motions. A man could invest just as much effort laying down and scatching his ass; ironic that both of them are aided greatly by the law of gravity. So, me being me, a person who shares the name _"Sora"_ with that entity, I take it for granted that I can be an especially lazy person. Call it an excuse, call it whatever you wish, I'm probably too relaxed to notice your critique.

Today is not much of an exception to that rule; I guess you could argue I'm quite active just walking the long distance to school. I'd shrug that off though, not much effort applies to an action this rehearsed; I'm practically flying on autopilot. When you can multitask day-dreaming with _anything,_ you know it takes no concentration what-so-ever.

Even walking up this ridiculous staircase, where looking towards the top can give you the most severe case of vertigo imaginable, is just one of those things that comes and goes. I'm sure any outsider, any non-native to my homeland, would be knocked off their feet by the idea that every student has to essentially climb a mountain to get to school. That's both going over and coming down. Every day, twice a day… plus most of us walk in from town before hand so add about a twenty minute trip in there somewhere.

Yeah, we'd put Balboa to shame.

You'd think they'd build a tunnel or something to make it more convenient. No dice; I think the mayor feels it helps "build character" for all the lack of sense that makes. I swear, Miyagi fans astound me. But, so long as town budget stays low and no righteous Samaritan decides to call _"child cruelty"_, nothing's going to change anytime soon. Guess we'll just be cursed to grow as adults with legs of iron. _Oh the horror…_

I'm over the top now, heading down the stairs. Not surprisingly, I'm alone. Most people don't start out for school at mid-day; I however make it out to be a weekly ritual. _Thank God it's Friday_, right? On a normal day, walking through here is like being part of some exodus, just a marching swarm of people. I can't take the pacing really, too many bodies shoving you forward and demanding passage. I mean really, what the hell are they in such a hurry for?

Ah, the base at last, the schoolyard lies out before me. More of a cathedral than a school really, all the arcing passageways and spire-capped towers have that real "In the name of God!" atmosphere. No stained glass though, but the spider-webbed window frames are just as insane with detail. The place had been run down and vacant for years, taking up some prime scenery. And we, like the good little recyclers we are, all lent in a hand to rebuild the place. We're an island community, things like this are our life-blood.

But I look upon this place with a deal of pride. I don't think I've ever really made something with that kind of… _weight_ to it. Something that felt like it had purpose, something that we, as one people, built side by side with one another. I think that's called "nostalgia" or something similar. I'll never be the scholarly type, but the thought that this place was raised by my hands gets me through the day just fine.

I make my way around the left side of the building, into the high arc halls of the North Wing. To my right lay the building face, dotted with off-shoot halls that lead into the actual school; to my left spread the Great Lawn, sectioned off from this walkway by a low wall of alabaster marble and the occasional pillar that held the ceiling. I do like that lawn though, the field of blue grass reminds me of the sea. How many times have I complimented Kairi on that?

And then it comes, so sudden I almost jump at the shockingly not-so-odd entrance. Yes, someone like me is rather used to portals of flowing shadow _popping_ into existence before him, hell I'm probably the cause in one way or another. I'm a little out of practice with the sensation though; it's been a while since my last encounter. Hmm, if I count it out on my fingers… maybe a bit more than a year?

This kinda thing's like riding a bike though, you never really forget. Summoning the Keyblade comes as second nature to me as I await my mindless quarry, perhaps a score of Shadows or maybe the more challenging Neo-types? The _True Kingdom Key_ glows golden in my grasp, eager for some action after so long a dormancy. King Mickey must have had the disposition of a saint to wield a weapon with such a bad temper…

That temper flares ten-fold moments before my new adversary makes his slow, dramatic… and solo entrance. Just one Heartless? When had that become a trend? More so, the damn thing couldn't be much taller than myself, a midget compared to someone like Riku. Were they actually spread this thin or was this particular being just that ignorant of precisely _who_ was standing right in front of it?

That said though, this was one odd Heartless. For one, it had no waist… not like skinny, it literally had _no_ waist. In place there was a black diamond, floating in empty space between the torso and thighs. All in all, its body was a mix-match of angular and rounded shapes. Its shoulders were simple spheres, as were its kneecaps which each lay situated between an eight-sided… tube-shaped-thing for thighs and a pointed cone that comprised the shins and feet. The arms were two conjoined diamonds: short and thick at the elbow (probably joined together by some kind of hinge-thingy), long and thin towards the finger-tips and shoulder-joints.

The body… okay, imagine a big triangle… now cut a rhombus out of the top… okay, now invert it and make it 3-D, kind of like a turtle shell; bulging towards the chest and honey-combed with crystal plates. That's pretty much the body, a little odd but it kept itself in theme. The head though, the most important part as it was the one I took extra care to aim for, was the most unique. It was bullet-shaped with a pointed spire at the top, like a knight's helmet complete with flip-visor. But there was no recess for a face though, just the shape of a heart carved in its place. Atop the pointed crest hung a ring, too small for any finger to go through, but just big enough for a line of thread to slip in. The white ribbon, in sharp contrast to its dark bearer, flowed elegantly in some imaginary breeze.

Overall, it had the look of some kind of armored puppet, a hodge-podge of obsidian crystal forged into even shapes and then crudely meshed together. I felt as though I'd gazed upon a "creation" of some kind, a person's hard work realized in the form of this figure, this marionette of darkness.

Oh I do love that word: _Marionette_! I never really get to name these things now that I think about t… I now officially dub thee "The Marionette"! I can't believe how thrilling that was!

And as I mused on my new-found joy, the ever stoic Marionette (oh I _love_ that!) began to circle…


	2. Nostalgic Encounter

A terrible and dark energy seemed to pulse, beating in rhythm with his heart. That only drove him on with further haste, the young man with silver locks now speeding down the lonely halls and corridors. He'd felt it surge, that rift of darkness tearing into their world. The experience was one he'd never forget… he'd been having such a nice nap in Chem. Class up until then. His jolted awakening had been quite the shocker to his classmates; one kid had even vaulted into the closet.

At the moment, Riku had little worry of the impending scolding he'd get from causing such a raucous and charging out of class. The fact that he'd broken straight through the door on leaving did register an annoyed sigh and head shake, but even that meant next to nothing now. Kairi was home sick today, she'd never miss first period English otherwise, which left only one reason for a being of the abyss to make its appearance.

_Sora._

Consequently, that left only one person who could save him and Riku would have to do so quickly. There was something about this power that just wasn't… _right_. This wasn't the usual chaotic evil of the Heartless, nor was it the simple instinct of the Nobodies. There was _intent_ behind this being, a purpose to its actions. That, in and of itself, was a nightmare come to life.

The wielder of the Twilight made haste through hallway after hallway. Time was short and Riku could waste not one second in his search. He knew of course where Sora was; even if he hadn't memorized his schedule Riku could _taste_ the tension in the air. But damn if he could just find his way through these complex fricken corridors! I mean shit, how many flights of stairs had he gone up? Or was it that he'd gone down?

*******_**Bizarro*****_

I braced against the initial joust, catching the pointed tip on the rounded edge of my blade. I gave back a good shove, meaning to push the Marionette away from me. But Mari kept steady and whipped in low towards my shins, an attack I hopped over at the last moment. I rolled on landing, hoping to get some distance between us to think a bit. That lasted all of a second before it was bounding towards me; thing was astoundingly light on its blade pointed tips.

I swung around into a rising slash, heavy on the power with just a side of grace. Some good it did me when he vaulted over the strike _and_ myself, landing right behind me. I followed through the motion in a grand arc, turning my upper-slash into a downward strike. Our blades clashed, the sharpened tip of his arm dug a deep trench into my left cheek. I'd only just dodged having my head impaled.

We held that pose, the classic sword-lock you tend to see in old-style samurai movies. Mari had no eyes to speak of, but I could still feel its gaze burning into me, as though scanning for weakness. The idea was ridiculous, but it just stuck itself in my mind. This wasn't just some random monster, it didn't carry itself that way; this was an opponent, an enemy with every intention in its being to win…

We broke apart, sliding away, before again we vaulted straight on. Our weapons clashed in a storm of sparks and metal as we made several runs past each other. Each strike was a shout of thunder that shook the very foundation of stone, I thought the roof was gonna cave in just from the force of it all. Right then I changed gears and reeled about, Keyblade pointed forward, and cast my favorite spell.

"_THUNDER!"_

The ceiling would have its revenge as a bolt of lightning shot from its crumbled surface and plummeted towards my enemy, the effect was just awesome! But when it made contact, I was subjected to a truly unique sensation: complete and utter astonishment.

A spell's energy runs like water: without gravity, some kind of will to act upon it, it just kind of floats around without direction. My will could concentrate that lazy pool into a "flow", leading to the bolt of destruction from moments prior. Now, if we run with that metaphor, this guy's hide was like plastic: water runs right off. And that's exactly what my spell was doing, just _sliding_ off his body.

I wouldn't have long to be dumb-founded before he was on me again, too fast for me to guard with my Keyblade. I invoked a _Reflect_ spell; the clear dome of hexagons enveloping my form. Any attack that struck would be absorbed and re-directed right back where it came from, a nasty surprise for many a Heartless in my previous travels. Mari seemed poised for a particularly fierce stab; that kind of strike diverted would take him out in an instant.

Oh damn the look that must have crossed my face when that pointed ebon arm pierced right through my shield. I'd ducked aside, avoiding the blade to the face which then turned into "sharp-pointy-object-dragging-its-way-down-my-neck-and-sinking-into-my-shoulder". Hot knife through butter indeed, that thing fricken _burned_!

With his arm sunk in halfway to the elbow, I wasn't going much of anywhere without Mari's consent. I was plowed across the hallway, held up only by the thick crystal now sticking through my shoulder, and slammed up against a thin pillar. I could feel the warm stream of blood racing down my arm, soaking into my sleeve and collar. I hear that stuff's impossible to get out once it dries, hopefully it's just a crock; I rather like this indigo button-up of mine.

You'd think I'd have some more pressing thought in mind right now than my declining wardrobe. And you'd be right, there was one thing on my mind then. I'd figured out why my spells weren't working, a few Heartless were immune to magic like that and some even absorbed certain spells. But this son of a bitch was a little more, like he was intangible to the energy. I'd never seen anything just swim through a defense spell like that, I'd screwed myself the moment I relied on it. So what the hell was the source, where had the power come from; I just couldn't place it.

I could see it now, that smug smirk dashed across his non-existent features, happy to know he'd left me completely dumbfounded in my final moments. I thought about how stupid that sounded, how in reality the thought of collecting my head probably meant about as much to this thing as the impact of "Tuesday" meant to me. But I didn't care, so I kept on with my musings, happy to think of this spiteful enemy who fought with nothing but hatred in his defective heart. I didn't want to accept that I'd been bested by some kind of cold, empty machine.

I silently prayed that help would reach me in time. I'd felt Riku's growing frustration and even Kairi, despite the distance, seemed to sense my plight. As the Marionette pulled back its free arm, ready to disembowel my pathetic body, I still clung to that hope. I thought how wonderfully awesome it would be for my enemy to launch into grand monologue only for my comrades to jump in and slice the prick's arm off. Add in some heroic one-liner and the scene was just made of badass.

But in reality; Riku was hopelessly lost as he always was when left to his own devices, Kairi was plain beyond helping me right now, and any other chance I had of rescue was a world away at least. And the thought that a Heartless would actually gloat at a time like this, with its prey helpless beyond reason; I must be losing too much blood to even consider that.

… But I was scared, I didn't want to die…

'_Don't worry Sora, I'm here to stand by you now!'_


	3. Primera Crusader

I'm no stranger to having voices in my head, if you're wondering why I'm so calm about it. When you think about it, if you're going to talk to the chosen one who has to spend majority of his time booking it across the galaxy and kicking ass, it's a much more convenient way of communicating. Why meet in _person_-person when you can just _zap_ text into his mind.

But the problem here was not the fact that someone was speaking in my head, it was that I didn't know whose voice this was. I could tell it was a woman, more along the lines of "little girl" if the pitch was anything to go by. I couldn't place a face to it… but somehow my mind kept searching for a match. It just didn't want to accept that this person was a stranger, as though somewhere in the back of my head the answer would just _flash_ into existence.

On the outside, time ground to a slow blur; the image of Mari plunging its bladed appendage directly towards my forehead crawled to a smoky lag. The waking world seemed to bleed out completely and I was left in a realm of white and mist. Did I mention that I'm no real stranger to visions as well?

In the distance, and drawing nearer, I made out a form, a very human form. It was a small thing, maybe about chest high and rather lanky in appearance. The closer it drew the more was revealed; a mop-top of raven hair perched itself atop the head, shielding its eyes from view. It had a youthful, feminine face, though at that age boys and girls have a habit of confusing me. Still, something in me stirred at calling it a girl, so I'll trust my instincts.

Despite the sheer white landscape, her alabaster cat-suit just sort of stood out, like a 3-D image in a cartoon background. The skin-tight aspect of the cloth was less pleasing than one would imagine, mostly because all the high-security areas were so well adorned. Atop her shoulders sat a pair of golden guards, rounded over her shoulders. From these hung the most ornate, golden chest-plate armor, carved in the image of a masculine torso with the symbol of a star etched over the heart. The masculine aspect was ironically hilarious, the scrap of shielding covered about as much area as a sports bra.

Across the hips rested a solid, golden belt, keeping with the color theme. The far ends flared out like wings which was appropriate since the garment looked to be floating around her frame, like a planetary ring of some kind. Strangely enough her hands lacked any form of armor at all and, aside from the head, were the only other exposed point of skin; the cat-suit ended at the knuckles. Then to contrast that completely were the legs…

You ever see something and the first word you use to describe it is "magnificent"? Well, not to give anyone the wrong idea, but these things were _truly_ _magnificent._ The body-suit looked to cut off just as the legs began, I couldn't tell you myself what with the metallic glory that seemed welded to each appendage.

They were like gauntlets for the lower body, grieves I believe is the right word. From thigh to toes, they encompassed her form. Where joints were needed, they looked to have melted away into some form of rubber metal, making movement smooth and easy. Lines were carved this way and that, never crossing and always running height-wise, that made their sheer length seem to stretch on and on. At the calves, the gold (of course) had forged into a tuft of feathers, looking just as soft as the real deal; they even billowed in the wind! The shoe-shaped feet seemed quite petite in contrast, but that just added more to the overall feel of the two garments: purely speed and balance.

'_You're not alone, I'll stand by you now. But first you have to get up, get up and fight again!'_

I came to just as a swift kick shot into the gut of my Heartless adversary, pun fully intended. Its arm dislodged with a yank and a spurt of blood as it was sent sailing down the corridor. The Marionette skidded to a stop on its pointed tips and one arm, kicking up a trail of sparks. It regarded me with some kind of wonder, wary of the sneak attack.

I'm a dominant righty, so losing my left isn't so big a deal. Hefting the Keyblade, I staggered to my feet and bit back the throbbing ache of my wound. I pointed my weapon towards the Marionette, issuing the challenge. It was darting forward before I even finished the taunt, that's just bad villain form there.

The sensation right then was purely awkward, no better word for it. It was like losing your breath, specifically having it punched out of you; like a hole opens up inside you and all your strength pours through it. But rather than physical strength, it felt as though a piece of my mind had shot forward and was now giving some form of foot-to-face uppercut to my enemy; the picture was so clear to me…

Of course it would be clear, it was happening right in front of me. In a violent flash, the Heartless was sent reeling straight up with a golden armored boot planted in its "chin". The follow-up kick came fast, driving the ribs and launching Mari clear through the low wall and on to the blue field.

I regarded the familiar spectre, as no other word could so well describe a see-through being, floating about a dozen cm's off the ground. I was flabbergasted, the feeling was just _that_ awkward. I know I've stated that I'm no stranger to visions and the like, but I'm typically not conscious when they happen! I'd almost gone off on an inner tangent about where I'd rank on the "looney scale" when the gravity of the situation came back into focus.

From the shuffling sounds, Mari was collecting himself. That had been my first wake up call. The second came when the armored phantom, back to me, flashed an eager side-profile grin that was only amplified in awesome by the act of dramatically cracking her knucles. I hardly took notice of her disappearance immediately afterwards, I'd already leapt from the walkway and onto the stunning stretch of lawn. Bloodied up and bruised, I was running on pure adrenaline now; you can't stop the _Sora Train_!

Man that was weak…

The Marionette staggered to its tips only to stumble back haphazardly from my swift swipe. My left arm hung dead, limp as a length of sausage; we were both worse for the wear. But Mari came back, nearly tumbling over itself, into a cross-slash which I batted up, in, and over, tossing my enemy overhead. It lashed out with the equivilant of a kick and slash combined, given the nature of its "feet", that lopped off a few locks of hair.

Mari landed on three limbs, I collapsed into a light crouch. We took a moment, respite and assessment, before we were at it again, charging headlong into the other. The rush was beyond comprehension and thoughts of life and death just kind of drifted their way to the sidelines, eager for the best seats. I jumped into my attack, stabbing forward with the tip of my Keyblade. The Marionette dipped low and swung around, coming in for the counter.

That odd feeling welled up again, like a part of my mind was drifting away. No, not drifting, _catapulting_!

There was a harsh clang of loose metal and the low _Thrum_ of grinding earth as Mari was launched once again from the powerful shot to the forehead. I reeled around on it, blazing past my astral ally, my limp arm flaring wildly with the motion. Some degree of clarity returned as the spectre again faded, that loose portion of my mind back from its urgent business. I was starting to understand how this power worked, I'd realize it once I was done kicking ass.

The Heartless _popped_ out of its tumble and onto its tips in one quick burst of movement. It stood, arms crossed and ready to receive me. I came in swaying side to side, a sad attempt to throw off its flow considering how sloppy I was, before my Keyblade hefted into a fast strike to the side. Mari twisted around the blade's head, coming to face my flank, and opened his arms in an agile X-cross.

I think I did it myself that time. In all honestly, the sensation was like pulling the trigger on a gun; you feel the itch in your nerves one moment and that sudden flash of recoil the next. Like any process, it took some time getting used to; that I'd expected it this time was the only thing keeping me from toppling over.

Gold plating met ebon crystal as the astral warrior lashed out at the point where both blades met, catching the attack flawlessly. Her leg, straining against the struggling Heartless, shot out to force the Marionette back a ways. She took off in pursuit, a shadow in its wake.

Mari didn't travel far, the push hadn't been all that strong to begin with, and maintained an upright stance. It readied again as the armored maiden darted forward, adopting the same cross-arms pose. Three meters… two meters… it sunk in ever so slightly at one meter, preparing for the counter.

The spectre vanished with a _Whoosh_, swiftly leaping over the entrenched Heartless. Mari let loose his attack at the unexpected motion, missing its target completely. I grinned ear to ear as I charged in with even greater haste, no longer obscured by my ghostly comrade. The Marionette shifted focus once she had vaulted out of sight, noticing me just an instant too late. As it attempted desperately to guard, the third shot of the day, brisk and precise, nailed the Heartless right in the back of the skull.

She hadn't vanished yet, just setting up for a flip-kick. An entirely too smooth flip-kick the likes of which you'd only see in some Japanese anime.

Mari came reeling in only to be blasted aside by the heavy swing of my Keyblade. I'd missed the diamond center I was aiming for, but had taken a good chunk out of its torso none-the-less. The displaced Heartless rolled end over end before dropping unceremoniously, sprawled out fully atop the flowing stretch of blue grass.

I could feel sorry for it, spread out helplessly like that. I waited a moment or two for the usual proceedings; the whisps of smog rising from the body accompanied by the glowing velvet shape of a heart floating off into the universe. The moments passed and nothing of the sort happened. What the fuck?

I was distracted as an explosion rocked the ground, a nearby wall of the academy blown out into a storm of dust and debris. It washed over the field and I mused on how sorry I'd feel for the poor bastard that marred Kairi's personal masterpiece like that, forgetting of course my own small romp from moments earlier. I'd all but forgotten the mysterious Heartless when a figure came hurriedly out of the cloud, a winged shape slung over his shoulder.

Riku plowed into me, steadying himself last-minute-like with a hand to my chest. When he figured out just who it was standing in front of him, that hand turned into a fist and balled up in it was the front of my shirt.

"The hell is going on!" he shouted, clearly out of breath and going into the negative on patience.

My mind snapped back to my opponent but as the cover cleared, the distinct smudge of black tendrils was all that remained where it layed. It hadn't died, the damn thing hadn't died and now it had gotten away on me!

"Sora!" Riku shouted again, louder than before. Evidently, he was not in the mood to be ignored.

I directed myself towards his face which was utterly covered in grime and the look of a man who'd had one too many sticks shoved up his ass. I glanced about, from side to side and front to back, even up and down for a bit. There was no sign of my astral companion… my mind was on the straight and narrow once again.

What the hell was happening to me?

I chose then to give Riku a taste of my thoughts. "I don't know man," I spoke with even temper, watching as a crowd of students and professors flooded out of the ruined building and onto the slightly less ruined lawn. Riku let me go; taking notice of my limp and blood-drenched arm he made to take my good shoulder and haul me back to the school.

I glanced up once again, onto the lazy sky. The lucky bastard, still laid back as ever. Sure we shared a name, but our lifestyles couldn't be further apart. I was a magnet for trouble and it seemed, once again, I was about to be off on yet another bizarre adventure.

Riku chuckled as my thought concluded so I assume I must have spoken it out loud. Or he was some kind of Jedi mind-reader…


End file.
